{"id":955067,"date":"2026-07-25T11:54:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T11:54:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/955067\/"},"modified":"2026-07-25T11:54:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T11:54:29","slug":"two-bills-playmakers-who-will-define-buffalos-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/955067\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Bills Playmakers Who Will Define Buffalo’s Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are two players who must put forth transcendent seasons if the Buffalo Bills hope to fulfill the sky-high expectations<\/a> with which they\u2019re entering the 2026 season.<\/p>\n

Both homegrown talents, tight end Dalton Kincaid and edge rusher Greg Rousseau, have each been Buffalo’s top players at their respective positions for the past few years. But neither has recorded the explosive campaign they were expected to when selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

Rousseau, the No. 30 overall pick in 2021, led the Bills in sacks a season ago, but finished the year with just seven. That wasn\u2019t even inside the top 30 in the NFL.<\/p>\n

Kincaid was selected by the Bills at No. 25 overall in 2023 and has been a solid performer for the team since. But he has been riddled with injury the past two seasons, playing in just 25 of a possible 34 regular-season games.<\/p>\n

For the Bills to take the next step and reach the Super Bowl, both players must increase their production this year.<\/a><\/p>\n

Rousseau has a great opportunity after Bills added to pass rush\"Greg<\/p>\n

Buffalo Bills linebacker Greg Rousseau (15) trains during Buffalo Bills Minicamp. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

One of the factors that could lead to a big year for Rousseau is the addition of free-agent EDGE Bradley Chubb. In adding Chubb, Rousseau will move back to his more natural side<\/a> of the Bills\u2019 defensive line, the left side, with his new teammate feeling more comfortable on the right.<\/p>\n

\u201cMe and\u00a0him, we\u2019re talking about that in the weight room, laughing about it because it\u2019s my first time playing with like an edge player who likes the right side,” said Rousseau on an episode of It\u2019s Always Gameday in Buffalo.<\/p>\n

Along with his sack total, Rousseau led Bills pass rushers with a quarterback pressure rate of 14.6% last season. I think he could boost that significantly with Chubb now in tow. And don’t forget about second-round EDGE T.J. Parker, who the Bills selected with the 35th overall pick in the 2026 draft.<\/p>\n

Kincaid may have to deal with Bills\u2019 load management again\"Dalton<\/p>\n

Rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid during OTAs. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

I’m not as confident in Kincaid taking a big step, as injuries continue to be the story of his offseason. Brandon Beane previously stated<\/a> that Kincaid may have to endure.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s too early to tell,\u201d said Beane on whether the team plans to limit Kincaid\u2019s snaps during training camp. \u201cWe\u2019re hopeful and optimistic that he won\u2019t, but we\u2019ll just see how that goes.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of these guys, in my experience, you can get them through the offseason, but training camp is training camp. So we\u2019ll see how that\u2019s going in training camp. Is he having to go two days on and one a little less or off? We\u2019ve just got to make sure it\u2019s smart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kincaid led all Bills pass catchers with a receiving EPA [Expected Points Added] of +38.5 a year ago, according to Next Gen Stats, but didn\u2019t even run as many routes [201] as Tyrell Shavers [203]. For him to make more of an impact on Buffalo\u2019s offense, Kincaid needs to be on the field more often. <\/p>\n

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on X<\/a> for the latest news.<\/p>\n

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